


An Unexpected (Sort of Expected) Catastrophe

by Kasumia



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Acts Like Chat Noir, Adrien Agreste Acts Like a Cat, Adrien Agreste Needs a Hug, Adrien Agreste has depression, Adrien turns into a cat, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Help the poor cat child, Identity Reveal, Miraculous Side Effects, Oblivious Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Plagg is a Little Shit, Protect Adrien Agreste, Season 2 spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 02:20:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15596100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasumia/pseuds/Kasumia
Summary: The last thing Adrien expected is to be able to purr out of costume. As Chat Noir, he had done it before. As Adrien, this was new. However, purring would be the least of his worries soon enough. Plagg explains how miraculous can start giving their users side effects after a year of use. Even with this information, Adrien was still not ready for the cat naps, growling, hissing, meowing...and the laser pointers. Much less was he ready for turning into an actual cat.Season 2 spoilers!





	1. New Day, New Purr-oblems

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So, this is my first fanfic. I've been planning to write this for a while, but anxiety prevented me from actually writing and posting it. (Fuck you, social anxiety.)  
> Anyways, feel free to leave suggestions or mistakes you find in the comments! I'll be sure to fix what you come across. :)  
> Thanks for reading!

Adrien hadn't meant to space out. Nor had he meant to daydream about Ladybug in the middle of class. However, both happened, and now he was staring dreamily into space and thinking about how amazing it would be to kiss his Lady. 

"Dude! Are you  _purring?_ Like a cat?"

Nino's voice yanked him from his sweet fantasyland and back to reality. Looking around, he saw a lot of the class staring at him silently in shock. Even Ms. Bustier stopped teaching momentarily. Adrien felt his cheeks heat up. "W-what was I doing?" His voice was timid and nervous, hoping that he had heard Nino wrong amidst his daydream.  _I must have heard him wrong. There's no way I could have been purring. I can only purr as Chat, and that's only happened once._

His best friend's response did not reassure him. "You were _purring."_

 _Shit._ "There's no way. It's not possible for a human to purr. You're insane. It was probably snoring...I didn't sleep well last night, and I started to fall asleep." His words were more to convince himself, but he didn't exactly lie, though, either. There was a tough akuma the night before, causing Ladybug and Chat Noir to be awake most of the night, and he was starting to fall asleep in class. That didn't stop the anxiety of the situation, though.  _There's no way I could purr._ He repeated the thought over and over, willing it to be true.

By some sort of miracle, everyone accepted his excuse, and the teacher recommended for him to leave class and get some sleep. Adrien hastily accepted, grabbing his bag and leaving before yanking a sleepy and grumpy Plagg out of his bag. 

Before Plagg could complain, Adrien was already glaring at his kwami, yelling in a hushed whisper. "What the hell was that? Why was I purring?"

The small kwami yawned before crossing his arms with a smirk. "Well, well, well. Has it really been a year already?"

The blond's face shifted into confusion. "I guess so, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"After a year or so of having the miraculous, some chosens start to experience side effects. Catlike tendencies are one of them for my chosens."

"What do you mean by catlike tendencies, exactly?"

Plagg sighed. "We'll talk when you get home." He continued when he saw Adrien opening his mouth to argue. "This is miraculous business. It has to stay secret."

Adrien nodded and fell quiet, opening his bag to let the kwami hide again before texting Nathalie to have Gorilla pick him up. He claimed to have gotten sick, which allowed his schedule to thankfully be cleared. 

The ride home was quite uneventful. As soon as he got to the cold mansion, Nathalie rushed him upstairs, telling him to rest and that she'd send up some soup to him later. The model nodded and faked a cough for added effect before closing his bedroom door and turning to Plagg expectantly.

For the first time since he met the kwami, Plagg actually appeared  _nervous_. Like he didn't want to say or know how to say what he was thinking. "Well...I don't know how to explain this without you getting all upset."

"I'm already upset, so say what you have to."

The small cat sighed before speaking. "As you know, miraculous are basically vessels for kwamis to be able to share their magic with humans." Adrien nodded, urging him to continue. "Well, after a while, that magic can affect the holder. Humans aren't built to use it, so after extended use, side effects can occur. For example, most chosens don't develop any side effects other than purring, meowing, hissing...that stuff, and some other tendencies. Most often mild things such as: sleeping more during the day than at night, or getting territorial and possessive, acting more aggressive, or being affected by cat toys and catnip."

Adrien sighed in relief. That was not as bad as the kwami was making it seem. When worry comes from the most careless creature on Earth, you almost expect Plagg to say that the world is ending. The side effects that Plagg described are things that he could manage with a bit of effort. However, when he glanced back up at the kwami, he could tell that the worst news was still to come. "There's something else?" he prompted.

Plagg tried to calm his expression and dismiss the blond's worries. "Nothing you need to lose sleep over. I promise. But...there have been a couple of chosens of mine that have  _turned into_ a cat."

"They what?!"

The cat swallowed and started speaking again. "It's only happened twice before, so don't worry. From what I could piece together, it appeared that those it happened to already had some magic of their own in them, so it kind of activated it and went haywire."

"I thought humans didn't have magic?"

"All of you have a tiny bit, but not enough to use. Some though were born with more than others. The miraculous's side effects kind of activate it, I guess, and since it normally isn't used, it kind of malfunctions. This causes the effects to worsen to the point of changing into the animal the miraculous symbolizes. They were stuck in the form for about three months before changing back into a human. It actually ended up being useful in the end, surprisingly. After the period of being stuck, they were able to change between cat and human form at will."

Adrien mulled that over for a second. "Do you think that will happen to me?"

Plagg shrugged. "I have no way of knowing."

He sighed in response before asking another question that he had been wondering. "Will Ladybug get side effects, too?"

The kwami nodded. "Not in the same way exactly as yours, though. Hers would be more subtle. She may get a couple inches shorter, or she may get sleepier in cold weather. Ladybug may also start to have an affinity for plants, and possibly eat aphids. I think only one has changed into a ladybug before, and that wasn't exactly from the side effects."

The boy sighed and nodded before flopping down on his couch. It was out of character to see his kwami actually care and tell him about something. He wasn't sure if that relieved him, or scared the shit out of him. Probably both. As he found himself surprisingly drifting to sleep--he must have been tired to fall asleep after that much information--only one thought remained.  _This isn't going to be easy._

 


	2. Adrien Gets High

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't think I've forgotten about our favorite lovesick girl, Marinette. Mari expresses her worry about Adrien to Tikki, and she works up the courage to go and check on him. Later at patrol, she finds some new interesting characteristics of Chat's. So be prepared for some cute Adrienette fluff and some LadyNoir. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the support you guys have given me so far, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter! 
> 
> Also! Important possible trigger warnings! Self-harm will be mentioned at the end of the chapter, so stay aware!

"I hope Adrien's okay..." Marinette sighed as flopped onto her bed after school, hugging her cat pillow close. Like Nino had previously observed, she was certain she had heard Adrien purr as well, but she waved off the thought.  _The only person I've heard purr is Chat...and there's no way they're the same person._ The entire day her mind was focused on the boy of her dreams. It was hard to focus on schoolwork between her worry for him and her own exhaustion. Her soft frown tilted upwards into a slight smile as her kwami settled down beside her.

"I'm sure he's fine, Marinette. Everyone gets sick from time to time."

Mari shook her head. "No, it's not only the fact that he is sick that I'm worried about. It's more...I'm worried he won't be taken care of." She knew enough about Adrien's home life to know that it wasn't exactly cozy and comforting. From the bits and pieces, Adrien has told them, she could tell that he didn't have a parent figure in his life. Marinette knew that his mother disappeared over a year or two ago and that Gabriel treated Adrien less like a son and more as one of his employees. Over everything, she wished she could help. Part of her has always wanted to confront Gabriel as Ladybug, but she knew that it would probably do more harm than good. So, she was stuck staring helplessly at her corkboard full of pictures of Adrien and bouncing thoughts off of her loyal companion.

Tikki frowned. "You know, you could always go and check on him. Bring him some pastries or soup. It may make him feel a bit better and let him know that someone cares."

Marinette's face turned red at the thought, and she shook her head. "No! I c-can't do that." She hid her face into her pillow until her blush went away, then looked back up at her kwami. "There's no way I'd be able to. He's-He's  _Adrien_. I'd make a fool of myself. Probably trip and spill the treats all over the ground."

"But you're  _Ladybug_. You can do anything you put your mind to!" The kwami grinned as she hovered in front of Marinette.

She covered her face with her hands and shook her head again. "I can't."

Her kwami sighed in slight disappointment. "Even if you don't talk to him, you can still drop off the treats with a card. You said you're worried he isn't being taken care of. At least he'd know you care."

The ravenette thought over her words for a second before her face changed into one of determination. "Right. I can do that. Just make a plate up for him. Sign a card. Drop it off. That's simple enough."  _I hope._ Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she pulled herself into a sitting position. "Make a plate. Sign a card. Drop it off." She repeated it over and over to herself as she completed the tasks, actually remembering to sign her name in the card. By the end of it, she was walking over to Adrien's with a plate of croissants, cookies, and macarons. A card was tucked into her purse with Tikki. Walking gave her time with her thoughts, and those weren't exactly helpful.  _What if I drop it off and they lose the card? Adrien won't know who these are from. Or, what if they throw away the plate before it gets to Adrien so he won't eat the desserts? Model diets are strict...So I have to give it to him in person...but then I'd make a fool of myself..._ She thought back to when she helped him get away from paparazzi so that Adrien could see his mother's movie. She was uncharacteristically calm and collected with him, going as far as to actually  _tease_ and  _joke_ with him.  _If I could do that...I could do this...right? Right?_ The thought is what brought her walking upstairs to Adrien's room after being questioned by Nathalie. She knocked on his bedroom door, trying to stop herself from giving into her nerves and running.

After a moment, Adrien responded groggily. "Come in." He wasn't expecting to see Marinette there instead of Nathalie, and his surprise was etched over his face. Marinette felt his eyes trail her as she sheepishly walked in and closed the door behind her. After shuffling nervously toward the couch where he was still laying, she held out the plate to him.

"I-I hope I'm not bothering you...I was-was just worried...about you! I felt bad that you were sick...so, um...I brought some things from our bakery..."

Adrien graciously took the plate with a wide grin, one rivaling his classic Chat grins as his grogginess disappeared. "Wow, thanks Marinette."

She nodded and fiddled with her fingers. "O-of course! I wasn't sure what you liked...so I got a mix of what just came out of the oven. T-they should be warm still if you're hungry..."

He pulled a croissant off of the plate, eating half of it in one bite. "These are so good..." he mumbled as he ate, barely noticing a small, happy purr rumbling from his chest. Catching it quickly, he swallowed it down, hoping Mari hadn't heard.

Marinette fumbled over her words, seemingly not noticing. "I-I just wanted to make sure you were feeling okay..."

Adrien looked back up at her and nodded. "I am, I just didn't sleep well last night...and I think I might be getting a chest cold." He faked a cough.

She nodded. "O-okay...well...let me know if you need anything..." Mari turned to leave, but Adrien held out a hand to stop her.

"Wait! Are you leaving already?"

She looked back at him. "You need to rest, Adrien...I don't want to waste your time."

The blond shook his head. "You aren't wasting my time." 

"Adrien..." Her face turned to concern, her nerves drifting away as taking care of him became her primary concern. "You should rest."

With a sigh and yawn, he nodded. "You're probably right...I'll be back at school tomorrow, so I'll see you then."

Marinette nodded in return. "I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled gently over he shoulder before quickly and quietly letting herself out.

****

The sun was just setting as Adrien transformed. "Time for patrol..." He yawned but kept a smile on his face. "At least I get to see My Lady." Pushing open his window, Chat happily jumped through it and caught himself with his staff. He jumped through the city and across the rooftops, enjoying the crisp breeze on his face. This had always been one of his favorite feelings. Night was quiet and generally peaceful with shadows dancing over the city. It was a perfect feeling of freedom, which used to be uncommon for him. Despite his earlier exhaustion, he found himself being rejuvenated. Whether that being from his new nocturnal instincts or his excitement to see his love, he wasn't sure, but he was grateful either way for the energy boost. As he landed where Ladybug was waiting, he swooped down into an overenthusiastic bow, a smirk tugging his lips. "Why hello, milady."

Ladybug rolled her eyes and giggled at his bow. "Hello, kitty."

Before he could respond with a witty comment, a scream was heard, causing him to look away from her. "Akuma." He felt Ladybug shift her position beside him before throwing her yo-yo out toward the villain. Chat Noir followed after her, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

They reached a residential area, finding a villain made completely out of vines. Moss created her hair and leaves created an elegant dress. In her hand was a long branch, most likely where the akuma was hiding. Upon spotting the heroes, she grinned. "I am The Gardener! No one will disrespect by flowers again!"

Chat smirked. "Well,  _aloe_ there. Isn't it  _thyme_ to stop all this? I think it's best to nip this kind of stuff in the  _bud_. Don't you think, milady?"

Ladybug rolled her eyes and groaned. "Less puns, more fighting."

He smirked in response, leaping toward The Gardener. She was ready, however, pointing the wand-like branch toward Chat. The hero was caught in tall stems that grew from the ground quickly and wrapped around him, a leaf tickling his nose. He coughed as he breathed the minty scent in before his eyes growing wide. All at once, it felt like someone had injected pure caffeine into him.

The villain smirked. "You wanted to nip it in the bud. How about a different type of nip? Catnip!"

As the herb's scent took full effect, he felt himself losing control over himself. A loud purr erupted from his chest as he rubbed against and licked the plant. 

Ladybug growled as she watched the scene unfold, and she launched herself at The Gardener, careful to avoid her wand. On and on, she continued, not being able to get closer to the villain. The one time the heroine thought she was getting closer, the villain caught her in vines. She struggled to get out, but she couldn't move her limbs. The Gardener smirked as she walked closer to Ladybug before her attention was caught by Chat.

The effect of the plant had finally worn off, allowing him to shout "Cataclysm!" and destroy the plant holding him. He ran to help Ladybug, dodging The Gardener's attacks. Quickly, he used his claws to break the vines containing her, and she used her "Lucky Charm" the moment she was free.

A packet of ladybugs dropped into her hands. "Ladybugs?"

Even Chat was confused. "I didn't know you could create living things."

"I didn't either...well, the more you know." She glanced around, not wanting to waste any time. Ladybug grinned as she realized. "Chat, drop the package on top of her."

Since he always had full trust in her, he leaped up with his staff and opened the package, dropping the bag of ladybugs on The Gardener. The insects crawled all over her, and the villain tried to fight them off. Ladybug took the distraction to grab the wand and break it before purifying the akuma. "Miraculous Ladybug!" All around, the new plants the villain grew disappeared, and her garden was fixed. 

The lady looked between the heroes. "W-was I...?"

Chat nodded and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. You didn't hurt anyone. It's fine. Hawkmoth takes advantage of emotions."

She nodded but was still feeling guilty. "Y-yeah...I'm sorry."

The beeping of Chat Noir's miraculous stopped him from saying more. After waving a goodbye to the lady, the two heroes fist-bumped and went their own separate ways.

****

"It was so strange, Tikki. I didn't know that catnip could  _actually_ affect Chat. He's not an actual cat." Marinette was sitting on her bed, watching Tikki eat her cookie as she talked about her night. By this point, Mari had her hair down and was in pajamas, ready for bed, but she couldn't sleep until she thought things through.

The kwami finished her cookie and looked at the ravenette. She hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Well...after a year, miraculous users can start to experience side effects. He's going to act more catlike for a while until he can control it."

Marinette nodded. "Oh...but what about me?"

"You'll get side effects too. You may get shorter, become more sensitive to cold temperatures, or start to have an affinity for plants. That could lead to eating aphids...but," she shrugged.

"I'm going to get shorter and eat bugs?"

"It's possible."

Marinette groaned and flopped down onto her bed as Tikki continued. "But that's nothing compared to what Chat Noir's going through. He may actually  _turn into_ a cat for a period."

She sat back up and stared at her kwami. "What?"

"It's unlikely, but there's always a chance. So just in case, keep that in mind."

"How long?"

"Three months to a year."

"H-how? How can I work alone for so long?" Mari pulled her knees to her chest. "Does he know?"

Tikki nodded. "His kwami should have told him. And you'll be okay, Marinette. There's like a 99% percent chance of it _not_ happening."

 _There's still one percent chance of it happening, too._ She couldn't imagine fighting alone for so long. Her and Chat Noir were a team; they fought together. Two parts of a whole. She needed him, and he needed her. As she laid back down, thoughts spun in her mind, leaving her with a restless night of tossing and turning.

****

Meanwhile, Adrien was having a similar conversation with his kwami. He paced around the room, his mind full of worries. "I became high! Off of  _catnip_!" he repeated for what seemed the millionth time.

Plagg crossed his arms and rolled his eyes as he watched his charge circle the room again. "So you've said. And why are you so surprised? I told you this would happen."

"Hearing it is different than actually experiencing it!" The blond stopped pacing and turned to his kwami. "This day has been one thing after another! First, purring, then hearing all that shit. Now, catnip and the feeling that I won't sleep until the sun rises!"

The cat shrugged. "You probably won't. You have a lot on your mind, and cats are nocturnal."

Adrien glared at Plagg with a hiss. "Not. Helping." His eyes widened as he realized he hissed before sighing. "And now, hissing. Great! Can today get any better?!"

The kwami sighed and landed on Adrien's shoulder. "Look, kid, you need to relax. There's no need to get this worked up over something you can't do anything about."

"That's why I'm pissed! Because I can't do anything!"

"Kid! Calm down!" Adrien froze and went silent in shock at Plagg's yell. He had never heard him yell at him before. Plagg sighed in relief when Adrien went quiet. "I'm sorry for yelling, Adrien, but if you get yourself this worked up...I...well...I don't want to have to stop you from hurting yourself again."

Adrien somehow got even quieter as he stared at the ground. Plagg touched on a subject that no one knew about except the two of them. Not even Nino or Ladybug knew. Within the time since his mother disappeared, he found himself going into a deeper and deeper hole. His father grew harsh on him, saying that he wasn't skinny enough for the photo shoots, or that he'd never be proud of Adrien. And so, Adrien took it out on himself in guilt. Sometimes he'd starve himself, sometimes cut. Either way, there was always a voice telling him in his head that he deserved it, no matter how much it hurt. When Plagg came along, the kwami took it upon himself to help Adrien out of it. He was helpful, most of the time...but there were always the harder points. The times where he would be so stuck in his own mind that he couldn't hear anyone else. Those are the times he had scars from. He hated this habit, but that same hate is what makes him continue. It's that sickening spiral which created the scars.

Plagg smiled gently at Adrien, trying to pull him out of his thoughts. "Adrien, it's going to be okay. I promise. Don't worry."

The blond nodded as he sat down on his couch with a sigh."R-right..."

The kwami hovered in front of his charge's face. "I promise. If you can handle akumas, you can handle this.  _I_ believe in you. Isn't that what matters?"

He nodded again. "Yeah...I guess so."

"Good. Now try to at least, get some rest, even if you can't actually sleep. You're making me tired just looking at you." 

Adrien laid down on the couch and stared at the ceiling. A few minutes passed before he spoke again. "Thank you, Plagg."

Plagg smiled and curled up on Adrien's chest. "Anytime."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Our first akuma attack! And some new developments with Adrien's side effects. ;) I hope you enjoyed this chapter; it was definitely really fun to write.  
> And we got some Adrien and Plagg bonding time! It was cute, even though kinda sad. And we got a look into Adrien's mind and the darkness that is actually there. Poor sunshine child.  
> This chapter was more than twice the length of the last one, so yay! And I made sure a lot of character development occurred, so I hope you liked that.  
> See you next update!


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